Kris Dutson is an award winning professional with over thirty years of experience as a photographer. He specialises in atmospheric landscapes, endeavouring to capture that elusive feel that is so important in a good photograph using the vagaries of the English weather to his advantage. He also carries this ethos through to other photography genres, especially his architectural commissions.

Recent published photographs have appeared as covers and centre spreads in Dorset Life magazine, The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Independent, The Dorset Echo and Metro newspapers, This England magazine and calendar and Patience Strong greetings cards. Kris has also had articles published in The Daily Mail online, The Telegraph online and newspaper, The Dorset Echo and the ePHOTOzine book; Guide to Great Photography.

Eggardon Sheep

In 2011 Kris Dutson was announced by HRH The Prince of Wales the overall winner in The National Countryside Photography competition, in association with the Prince’s Countryside Fund.

He has also published a book ‘Atmospheric Dorset in Photographs and Verse’ which features his photographs, each accompanied by a self-penned poem. It was an honour for us to take an interview with Kris Dutson. We wish you a pleasant reading and viewing of Kris Dutson photography.

AP: Kris, thank you for finding the time to give an interview. We are impressed with your shots and find them very beautiful. We are happy to see you here and hope you will enjoy the questions we’ve prepared for you. Could you please tell me what got you started?

Kris: I’ve always loved the landscape but want to show it in a more dramatic way than most people see it, so I tend to only go out when the weather gives me the kind of atmospheric lighting I need. My inspiration was mainly the great Ansel Adams. I saw his work in an exhibition when I was 18 years old, and fell in love with the way he captured the drama of his subjects and used the light to retain the impact of them in a two dimensional image.

Gold Hill Summer

AP: That is great you were inspired by Ansel Adams’ work. Do you have any formal education in photography or were you self-taught?

Kris: I made my first photograph when I was 18 years old; I’m completely self-taught learning most of what I know from reading books and experimenting.

AP: I agree that experiments are one of the best ways to improve your photography skills. What genre are your photos?

Kris: I’m a dyed in the wool landscape photographer. However I do like architectural photography, which is my main business, but specialise in showing the buildings in the same dramatic lighting that I use for my landscape work to give them impact.

Spreading Boughs

AP: How would you describe your works?

Kris: Atmospheric, with feeling and impact.

AP: Kris, what inspires you on a daily basis?

Kris: The weather. We’re so lucky in the UK to have the varied weather that we do.

AP: Oh yeah, the weather in the UK is so different. What kind of equipment and techniques do you use to take your pictures?

Kris: I use all Canon dSLR bodies and lenses. I shoot in RAW and use whatever technique will capture the scene the way I want it, be it grad filters, two shot blends or HDR. I use Lightroom for RAW developing, Photomatix Pro for HDR and tone mapping and PS CS5 for final tweaking.

Colmers Cumulus

AP: What is your dream project?

Kris: To be Michael Palin’s photographer on one of his epic adventures.

AP: That is a wonderful dream! We hope it will definitely come true. What is the formula for success in your activity?

Kris: I keep experimenting, embracing new techniques and technology to achieve my vision. In my opinion HDR (used correctly) is one of the great advances in photography, widening the dynamic range of cameras and enabling lighting conditions to be captured that were once impossible.

AP: Is there someone who supports you in your creativity?

Kris: Mainly my wife Helen. Sometimes I’m over critical of my work looking at it from a purely technical point of view, whereas she tends to look at it with a ‘would I hang it on my wall’ view, which, when you’re selling it, is how most customers see it.

Lyme Harbour Sunset

AP: Could you give any piece of advice for those who try to discover their talent and cultivate it?

Kris: Learn all you can, do it by the book then throw it away and experiment, experiment, experiment…it’s easy and cheap to do now in the digital age.

AP: Thank you Kris for such a useful piece of advice. Would you like to wish something to AstrumPeople?

Kris: Believe in yourself then others will too.

Thank you very much for sharing such interesting story. I am sure it will inspire many readers to work more and improve their skills in photography. We wish you continued success, inspiration and many beautiful ideas along your way. To learn more about Kris Dutson photography, please visit his personal website.